Being active in politics, I get numerous e-mails daily requesting my signature on some petition or another. Most of them I'm more than happy to oblige--it usually only takes a few seconds and it's a way to guarantee your voice gets heard (or annoy a republican politician). However there are two these days that I absolutely refuse to sign.
The first is any call for republicans to give Merrick Garland a confirmation hearing as our next Supreme Court Justice. Nothing against Garland--while he wouldn't have been my choice (too old, not liberal enough), he seems like a decent man and would still give the court a solid leftward tilt. But I think the American people have an inherent sense of fairness and realize that Barack Obama was elected President until January 2017 and thus the decision on our next Supreme Court Justice is rightly his. And I want to absolutely hammer republican Senatorial candidates over this issue for the next five months--I want to us to show Americans that Ayotte in New Hamshire, Johnson in Wisconsin, Portman in Ohio, Toomey in Pennsylvania, Kirk in Illinois, Grassley in Iowa, and McCain in Arizona are undemocratic jerks who are dismissive of the will of the people. And greatly improve our chances for taking back the Senate.
The second is those asking Donald Trump to release his tax returns. Why on earth would I want that? The longer he keeps it up the longer it looks like he has something to hide--and the longer it looks like republicans are truly the party that looks after the wealthy and doesn't give two shits about anyone else. Hell, we can even contrast him with Hillary Clinton--she's rich, she released hers...so what exactly is he hiding? While I think Trump is toast in November, the bigger the victory the longer the coattails for down ballot Senate, Congress, and state and city candidates.
Note that I don't think we should ignore these two issues--I think we should bring them up daily. I just don't want anything to actually happen.
I'd much rather open a can of whoop ass this November.
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, May 30, 2016
Saturday, May 28, 2016
A lesson before sighing
Donald Trump said this week that "You have to be wealthy to be great."
Here is just a short list off the top of my head of leaders and influential people who were (or are) not wealthy who were (or still are) most assuredly great: Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Lech Walesa, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ....
While there are a few wealthy folks who have made quite the difference (the Roosevelts, the Kennedys, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Winston Churchill), you'd be hard pressed to name any wealthy folks who in this day and age are little more than greedy pricks trying to stuff their agenda down our throats--Bill Gates, the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson, et al. Not a lot of "greatness" in that bunch, especially when one considers their contribution to the greater good.
In sum, once again Donald Trump has been proven decidedly wrong.
Thus endeth the lesson.
Peace,
emaycee
Here is just a short list off the top of my head of leaders and influential people who were (or are) not wealthy who were (or still are) most assuredly great: Martin Luther King, Jr., Mahatma Gandhi, Malcolm X, Cesar Chavez, Elizabeth Warren, Bernie Sanders, Rosa Parks, Albert Einstein, Nelson Mandela, Bishop Desmond Tutu, Lech Walesa, Abraham Lincoln, Mother Teresa, Jesus Christ....
While there are a few wealthy folks who have made quite the difference (the Roosevelts, the Kennedys, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Winston Churchill), you'd be hard pressed to name any wealthy folks who in this day and age are little more than greedy pricks trying to stuff their agenda down our throats--Bill Gates, the Koch Brothers, Sheldon Adelson, et al. Not a lot of "greatness" in that bunch, especially when one considers their contribution to the greater good.
In sum, once again Donald Trump has been proven decidedly wrong.
Thus endeth the lesson.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, May 27, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LXXIV--Bob Dylan: It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
In 1977, Rolling Stone had a tenth anniversary issue (which means next year should mark fifty years of publication--and exactly where does the time go?) featuring their critics ten best musical moments of their first ten years, and for an eighteen-year-old lad just beginning to explore the depths of rock and roll, it was quite a revelation. From the assorted lists I sought out "Heroin" by the Velvet Underground, Every Picture Tells a Story by Rod Stewart, and various works by The Band, Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, and Boz Scaggs, all of whom I still listen to to this day.
And I also sought out a song by some guy named Bob Dylan--a song whose title even to my inexperienced teenage ears sounded as cool as a title could be: "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)." And it started a lifelong love affair with the music of quite possibly America's greatest rock and roll artist. And a long abiding respect and awe for arguably the greatest rock and roll song ever written.
There really isn't much I can say about Bob Dylan that hasn't been said or written by someone whose knowledge goes much deeper than my fanboy adoration--though I have to admit that most of it is gone as the heir to Woody Guthrie gave up a long time ago and ceded that mantle to Bruce Springsteen. Dylan these days is busy making commercials for Victoria Secrets and IBM and recording Sinatra covers (gulp--two albums worth) and is about as culturally, socially, and politically relevant as your average blade of grass. It wasn't always so--Dylan at one time was the voice of a generation and fans and critics alike hung on each word of every lyric of every song for a deeper understanding of the world we lived in. It may have been overwrought--hell, it was overwrought--but rock and roll was art and art can answer anything, can't it?
Released in 1965 on his Bringing It All Back Home LP, "It's Alright, Ma" is a sparse, apocalyptic look at what America had become and was hardening into (amazingly enough, much of it is still relevant today, maybe even moreso). Backed only by his own ominous acoustic guitar, Dylan deftly weaves his way through fifteen verses, each spotlighting a rhyming scheme accentuating a single sound (noon, spoon, soon, balloon, etc,) in what could be called a rap (Dylan: the original rapper), which leads into the more or less chorus: "It's alright, Ma...." (surprisingly enough, "I'm only bleeding" is never uttered in the song). It's a narrative of American consumerism, social disharmony, and our war machine, all of which Dylan wails against in a nasally (what else?) and wearied tirade. "It's Alright, Ma" has been called a "grim masterpiece" and and has been said to be, unlike some of Dylan's previous politically inclined songs, without hope. I beg to differ--while it certainly isn't a "shiny happy people: peace love dope!" message, I think the "It's alright, Ma" chorus is the hope--as you listen it's obvious that not only the music, but Dylan's vocals as well take a less somber turn . It's a somewhat pyrrhic victory, but sometimes just surviving is more than half the battle in all things disappointing in life.
All in all, it's a masterwork by a master of American songwriting.
Fun fact: Dylan has performed the song over 770 times in concert. Woo-hoo!
Liner notes: "It's alright, Ma, it's life and life only."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
And I also sought out a song by some guy named Bob Dylan--a song whose title even to my inexperienced teenage ears sounded as cool as a title could be: "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)." And it started a lifelong love affair with the music of quite possibly America's greatest rock and roll artist. And a long abiding respect and awe for arguably the greatest rock and roll song ever written.
There really isn't much I can say about Bob Dylan that hasn't been said or written by someone whose knowledge goes much deeper than my fanboy adoration--though I have to admit that most of it is gone as the heir to Woody Guthrie gave up a long time ago and ceded that mantle to Bruce Springsteen. Dylan these days is busy making commercials for Victoria Secrets and IBM and recording Sinatra covers (gulp--two albums worth) and is about as culturally, socially, and politically relevant as your average blade of grass. It wasn't always so--Dylan at one time was the voice of a generation and fans and critics alike hung on each word of every lyric of every song for a deeper understanding of the world we lived in. It may have been overwrought--hell, it was overwrought--but rock and roll was art and art can answer anything, can't it?
Released in 1965 on his Bringing It All Back Home LP, "It's Alright, Ma" is a sparse, apocalyptic look at what America had become and was hardening into (amazingly enough, much of it is still relevant today, maybe even moreso). Backed only by his own ominous acoustic guitar, Dylan deftly weaves his way through fifteen verses, each spotlighting a rhyming scheme accentuating a single sound (noon, spoon, soon, balloon, etc,) in what could be called a rap (Dylan: the original rapper), which leads into the more or less chorus: "It's alright, Ma...." (surprisingly enough, "I'm only bleeding" is never uttered in the song). It's a narrative of American consumerism, social disharmony, and our war machine, all of which Dylan wails against in a nasally (what else?) and wearied tirade. "It's Alright, Ma" has been called a "grim masterpiece" and and has been said to be, unlike some of Dylan's previous politically inclined songs, without hope. I beg to differ--while it certainly isn't a "shiny happy people: peace love dope!" message, I think the "It's alright, Ma" chorus is the hope--as you listen it's obvious that not only the music, but Dylan's vocals as well take a less somber turn . It's a somewhat pyrrhic victory, but sometimes just surviving is more than half the battle in all things disappointing in life.
All in all, it's a masterwork by a master of American songwriting.
Fun fact: Dylan has performed the song over 770 times in concert. Woo-hoo!
Liner notes: "It's alright, Ma, it's life and life only."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
This is how fucked republicans are this November
Their grand strategy for now appears to be attacking Bill Clinton for alleged past sexual improprieties.
Hello! McFly! McFly--Bill Clinton isn't fucking running for President!
One supposes when you're running against a candidate who worked on the committee that's work would eventually lead to Richard Nixon's resignation, advocated for children, is a former first lady of both the state of Arkansas and the United States, a former Senator, and a former Secretary of State, and your candidate's claim to fame is that he's a greedy prick who hosted a shitty TV show, you'll really need to grasp at whatever straws you can.
And best of luck with that.
Peace,
emaycee
Hello! McFly! McFly--Bill Clinton isn't fucking running for President!
One supposes when you're running against a candidate who worked on the committee that's work would eventually lead to Richard Nixon's resignation, advocated for children, is a former first lady of both the state of Arkansas and the United States, a former Senator, and a former Secretary of State, and your candidate's claim to fame is that he's a greedy prick who hosted a shitty TV show, you'll really need to grasp at whatever straws you can.
And best of luck with that.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, May 22, 2016
A profile in courage
A few random thoughts on the young woman wearing the "America Was Never Great" hat at Home Depot:
- How stupid do you have to be to believe that there would be no backlash to the unadulterated racism of the Trump campaign? You want to hate people of color? Fine--but be prepared to be called (deservedly) an asshole for it. By the way, there's nothing in the U.S. Constitution or your Bible that condones your viewpoint.
- Commenters have said that the hat is a slap in the face to veterans--how exactly is that? Aren't you the ones always screaming about how our troops fight for our freedoms? When did free speech stop being one of our freedoms?
- One supposes that those who claim the hat is an embarrassment to "all" Americans never had any ancestors brought over here on slave ships, never suffered institutional racism in all aspects of life in America from housing to jobs to where they can fucking sit on a bus, or any who were lynched for the basest of reasons.
- As for all those who have sent death threats to the young woman--really? Threatening to kill an American for exercising their right to free speech? Quite the testament to America's "greatness."
- And calling her a coward? Seriously? In all likelihood her job is gone (trust me Home Depot will find a way to get rid of her), she's probably a pariah at work (especially with her supervisors), and she's endured all kinds of hatred from the low grade morons who make up Trump's supporters, for having the guts to express her feelings. Yeah, that's the stuff cowards are made of.
- It's not as if Home Depot is exactly some liberal bastion. It's pathetic CEO, Ken Langone, once threatened to have all his richie rich friends stop donating to the Catholic Church and its charities because Pope Francis had the audacity to point out what anyone with the IQ of a slug or better already knows: God doesn't take too kindly to greedy assholes. The horror!
Left unsaid, of course, is exactly how unhinged Donald Trumps supporters are. It's a fucking hat, for Christ's sake. Get over it.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, May 20, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LXXIII--Macy Gray: I Try
If I had to do it over again, I'd borrow the title from Macy Gray's debut album and call my blog emaycee On How Life Is. How cool of a title would that have been?
Or maybe not.
Every now and again an artist comes along where you think to yourself "This is kind of bizarre, but I really like it." And that would be Macy Gray.
After college, Canton, Ohio native Gray (originally Natalie Renee McIntyre) bounced around for a few years with various gigs and musical interludes before landing a recording contract in 1998 which would lead to the release of her debut album, On How Life Is, in 1999. The album would go on to sell over three million copies, reach #4 on the Billboard 200, win Gray a Grammy Award, and turn her into a star. As is all too often the case with sudden fame in the musical world, this would also lead to substance abuse issues for Gray. She was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder along the way. While Gray has released five more albums and continues recording and touring to this day, she never again achieved quite the success of her first record. No matter--we'll always have Paris....
"I Try" was actually the second single released from On How Life Is (trivia note: "Do Something" was the first), and it would go on to achieve international success, reaching #5 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, and top tens in numerous other countries. And it's not hard to see why--"I still love you but you don't love me anymore" songs have been popular since the first song was sung and Gray delivers a virtuoso performance. Part jazz chanteuse, part pop singer extraordinaire, Gray's vocals (as strange as this will sound) are a cross between Rod Stewart and Theodore from the Chipmunks but it absolutely fucking works. Sung over a haunting piano and a killer groove from the bass and drums, Gray's voice never wavers as she sings about a lost love with a catchy as all hell chorus which is repeated often (emaycee fave!). In a nutshell, this song will have you fiendin' for more (yes, I had to look up the meaning of fiendin'--there's a lot of geek in being a music geek).
Embarrassing factoid: I absolutely cannot sing the chorus of "I Try" without choking up. Cannot.
Did I mention how cool of a first name Macy is?
Rap Sheet: "I try to say goodbye and I choke...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Or maybe not.
Every now and again an artist comes along where you think to yourself "This is kind of bizarre, but I really like it." And that would be Macy Gray.
After college, Canton, Ohio native Gray (originally Natalie Renee McIntyre) bounced around for a few years with various gigs and musical interludes before landing a recording contract in 1998 which would lead to the release of her debut album, On How Life Is, in 1999. The album would go on to sell over three million copies, reach #4 on the Billboard 200, win Gray a Grammy Award, and turn her into a star. As is all too often the case with sudden fame in the musical world, this would also lead to substance abuse issues for Gray. She was also diagnosed with bipolar disorder along the way. While Gray has released five more albums and continues recording and touring to this day, she never again achieved quite the success of her first record. No matter--we'll always have Paris....
"I Try" was actually the second single released from On How Life Is (trivia note: "Do Something" was the first), and it would go on to achieve international success, reaching #5 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100, and top tens in numerous other countries. And it's not hard to see why--"I still love you but you don't love me anymore" songs have been popular since the first song was sung and Gray delivers a virtuoso performance. Part jazz chanteuse, part pop singer extraordinaire, Gray's vocals (as strange as this will sound) are a cross between Rod Stewart and Theodore from the Chipmunks but it absolutely fucking works. Sung over a haunting piano and a killer groove from the bass and drums, Gray's voice never wavers as she sings about a lost love with a catchy as all hell chorus which is repeated often (emaycee fave!). In a nutshell, this song will have you fiendin' for more (yes, I had to look up the meaning of fiendin'--there's a lot of geek in being a music geek).
Embarrassing factoid: I absolutely cannot sing the chorus of "I Try" without choking up. Cannot.
Did I mention how cool of a first name Macy is?
Rap Sheet: "I try to say goodbye and I choke...."
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, May 19, 2016
No punishment too harsh
Since apparently murdering their son wasn't enough, subhuman woman beater and small time criminal George Zimmerman this week said that Trayvon Martin's mother and father were bad parents who didn't raise their son the right way.
As if his own parents did such a bang up job--I mean, it takes an awful lot of courage to shoot a teenager who's packing a bag of multi-colored Skittles.
Many people, after killing a child because of their own stupidity, would spend the rest of their lives trying to make up for it and would feel that no apology they could make would ever be enough to console the parents of that child. But at least they would try.
George Zimmerman isn't one of those people.
And whatever ill should befall him over the course of the rest of his life will be richly deserved.
Peace,
emaycee
As if his own parents did such a bang up job--I mean, it takes an awful lot of courage to shoot a teenager who's packing a bag of multi-colored Skittles.
Many people, after killing a child because of their own stupidity, would spend the rest of their lives trying to make up for it and would feel that no apology they could make would ever be enough to console the parents of that child. But at least they would try.
George Zimmerman isn't one of those people.
And whatever ill should befall him over the course of the rest of his life will be richly deserved.
Peace,
emaycee
If it's Ryan he's lyin'
In case you missed it, the Obama Administration issued an executive order this week which raises the threshold for salaried workers to be eligible for overtime pay from $23,660 a year to $47,476, which is expected to affect over four million workers. What this means is that millions of working class Americans will no longer be slave labor for Big Business--they're going to have to pay for our time (as well they should).
Naturally, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced later this week that he's committed to fighting the new rule.
What the fuck is it with republicans not wanting poor and working class families to make more money? They certainly don't have any problems with CEOs and hedge fund managers making more money.
One can only suppose that the stink from republicans having their noses so far up Corporate America's ass is affecting their ability to think.
Peace,
emaycee
Naturally, Speaker of the House Paul Ryan announced later this week that he's committed to fighting the new rule.
What the fuck is it with republicans not wanting poor and working class families to make more money? They certainly don't have any problems with CEOs and hedge fund managers making more money.
One can only suppose that the stink from republicans having their noses so far up Corporate America's ass is affecting their ability to think.
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
How to destroy your legacy 101
Had he not misguidedly run for President in 2000, Ralph Nader's legacy would have been the countless lives he saved with his crusade against the abominable safety practices of the auto industry. His book Unsafe at Any Speed led to seat belts in all cars, better safety standards, sounder designs, and a lot less people (though there are still far too many) killed in auto accidents.
Unfortunately Nader's good works were cancelled out by his costing Al Gore the 2000 Presidential election which saddled us with George W. Bush and cost even more Americans their lives in two disastrous wars, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina, not to mention the financial health of numerous families destroyed by the Great Recession. All of which were the direct result of republican leadership.
Not content with that colossal mistake, Nader has recently praised Donald Trump more than Hillary Clinton, for his stances on trade deals, self funded campaign (not hard when you're a billionaire and he seems a lot more interested in rich people's money now that he's the presumptive republican nominee), and Wall Street (what the fuck?). Nader seems to be under the impression that both parties are equally corrupt and that a Donald Trump Presidency would be no better or worse than a Clinton one.
Nader should do those of us who actually have to live with the actions of the next President a favor and shut the fuck up--apparently he's not wise enough to realize, even after his disastrous candidacy in 2000, that bad candidates do not change America for the betterment of ordinary folks.
And Donald Trump is one brutally bad candidate.
Peace,
emaycee
Unfortunately Nader's good works were cancelled out by his costing Al Gore the 2000 Presidential election which saddled us with George W. Bush and cost even more Americans their lives in two disastrous wars, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina, not to mention the financial health of numerous families destroyed by the Great Recession. All of which were the direct result of republican leadership.
Not content with that colossal mistake, Nader has recently praised Donald Trump more than Hillary Clinton, for his stances on trade deals, self funded campaign (not hard when you're a billionaire and he seems a lot more interested in rich people's money now that he's the presumptive republican nominee), and Wall Street (what the fuck?). Nader seems to be under the impression that both parties are equally corrupt and that a Donald Trump Presidency would be no better or worse than a Clinton one.
Nader should do those of us who actually have to live with the actions of the next President a favor and shut the fuck up--apparently he's not wise enough to realize, even after his disastrous candidacy in 2000, that bad candidates do not change America for the betterment of ordinary folks.
And Donald Trump is one brutally bad candidate.
Peace,
emaycee
Monday, May 16, 2016
Not a magic man
There seems to be this myth out there that Donald Trump has tapped into some sort of mystical energy with American voters and will therefore be a force to be reckoned with this November.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Donald Trump has not tapped into Americans--he has tapped into the republican base. And despite their waving their "Silent Majority" signs at Trump's rallies, the truth is they are an abrasive minority that turn off most Americans and do not possess near enough votes to give Trump a chance in hell this November. Trump is appealing to republicans and right leaning independents--I have yet to see a single Democrat come out for Trump or any data that shows his appeal is to Democrats or left leaning independents. Or anything close to the attraction some moderate republicans had for Bernie Sanders, for that matter.
Yes, Hillary Clinton could lose this election--if she mails it in and thinks she is simply going to be anointed the next President of the United States. Since she's already running ads against Trump and takes every opportunity to criticize the man and his "ideas" I sincerely doubt this will be the case.
Trump is the Bearded Lady or the Three Legged Man at old freak shows--nothing more than a novelty act.
Peace,
emaycee
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Donald Trump has not tapped into Americans--he has tapped into the republican base. And despite their waving their "Silent Majority" signs at Trump's rallies, the truth is they are an abrasive minority that turn off most Americans and do not possess near enough votes to give Trump a chance in hell this November. Trump is appealing to republicans and right leaning independents--I have yet to see a single Democrat come out for Trump or any data that shows his appeal is to Democrats or left leaning independents. Or anything close to the attraction some moderate republicans had for Bernie Sanders, for that matter.
Yes, Hillary Clinton could lose this election--if she mails it in and thinks she is simply going to be anointed the next President of the United States. Since she's already running ads against Trump and takes every opportunity to criticize the man and his "ideas" I sincerely doubt this will be the case.
Trump is the Bearded Lady or the Three Legged Man at old freak shows--nothing more than a novelty act.
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, May 15, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LXXII--Los Lobos: Will the Wolf Survive?
Sometimes the best laid plans of mice and men, and all that, so this week's Jukebox is going to be short and sweet.
Los Lobos. Started in the early 70's, out of East Los Angeles. Five of the original six members are still with the band. Their music is called Chicano Rock, though I'd consider it more roots rock. Breath of fresh air when their album came out in 1984 after several years of new wave sounds. Career continues to this day. Released 22 albums thus far, won Grammy Awards, and nominated for a (well-deserved) spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Number one hit with their cover of Ritchie Valens' bitchin' hit, "La Bamba." Had the good fortune to have good tunes in great movies--La Bamba, Desperado, and Bull Durham.
Released in 1984 on their LP How Will the Wolf Survive? (and how clever was it to use the word "how" to differentiate between album and song?) which is one of Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time. Song title came from a National Geographic documentary about wolves struggling to survive--though "Will the Wolf Survive?" is ostensibly about a Latino male trying to make a living in America, it's also a metaphor for the band's struggles to be successful in America as well. It's got jangly guitars, rat-a-tat drumming, heartfelt vocals, and a compelling story. What more could you ask for?
Side note: Hadn't heard the song in years--it was just as good as I'd remembered it (which isn't always the case).
Liner notes: "Battered drums and old guitars/Singing songs of passion...."
Hopefully we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week...
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Los Lobos. Started in the early 70's, out of East Los Angeles. Five of the original six members are still with the band. Their music is called Chicano Rock, though I'd consider it more roots rock. Breath of fresh air when their album came out in 1984 after several years of new wave sounds. Career continues to this day. Released 22 albums thus far, won Grammy Awards, and nominated for a (well-deserved) spot in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Number one hit with their cover of Ritchie Valens' bitchin' hit, "La Bamba." Had the good fortune to have good tunes in great movies--La Bamba, Desperado, and Bull Durham.
Released in 1984 on their LP How Will the Wolf Survive? (and how clever was it to use the word "how" to differentiate between album and song?) which is one of Rolling Stone's Top 500 Albums of All Time. Song title came from a National Geographic documentary about wolves struggling to survive--though "Will the Wolf Survive?" is ostensibly about a Latino male trying to make a living in America, it's also a metaphor for the band's struggles to be successful in America as well. It's got jangly guitars, rat-a-tat drumming, heartfelt vocals, and a compelling story. What more could you ask for?
Side note: Hadn't heard the song in years--it was just as good as I'd remembered it (which isn't always the case).
Liner notes: "Battered drums and old guitars/Singing songs of passion...."
Hopefully we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming next week...
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
And another one...
The Supreme Court last week told Corporate America to go fuck itself--they won't hear the fast food industry's lawsuit against the city of Seattle and it's $15 minimum wage.
In a nutshell, the people voted and the people won.
Republican ideas and policies cannot win at the ballot box--so they've resorted to litigation with stacked courts to screw the American people.
And imagine how much worse it will get for us if Donald Trump gets to appoint the next two or three Justices to the Supreme Court.
We'll be like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
Peace,
emaycee
In a nutshell, the people voted and the people won.
Republican ideas and policies cannot win at the ballot box--so they've resorted to litigation with stacked courts to screw the American people.
And imagine how much worse it will get for us if Donald Trump gets to appoint the next two or three Justices to the Supreme Court.
We'll be like a one legged man in an ass kicking contest.
Peace,
emaycee
Another reason we need to keep the White House
As if we needed one...
Unbeknownst to many Americans, far too many businesses are now adding arbitration clauses to their terms of doing business with them. Credit card companies, iTunes, banks, and numerous others are basically saying, as a consumer, you have to agree to take any issues with them to an arbitrator instead of a court of law and jury of your peers or they won't do business with you. The reason? You guessed it--you'll win a lot less often and win a lot less money than you would before a jury of your peers. It's a fact that class action lawsuits punish bad business practices more and result in better ones. It's basically a rigged game.
The last two jobs I applied for--including the one I have now--required me to agree to arbitration for any disputes before I had so much as put my name on an application form (so much for me believing either of these employers gave two shits about me as an employee!). We recently bought a used car and I was surprised to find when I got home that I had agreed to arbitration though no one at the dealership had spoken one word to me about it (make sure to read the fine print kiddies!).
Last week, Elizabeth Warren's brainchild, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put forth a rule that bars financial firms from having mandatory arbitration clauses. The CFPB does not need either the President's signature or the votes of the republican controlled Senate and House to pass this rule. While this is only a start, it is hoped that eventually it will lead to an end to arbitration clauses of any stripe.
Should republicans win the White House, within the first ten minutes of taking office (probably a slight exaggeration) they will disband the CFPB--and with it, any chance we consumers have against Big Business.
Remember, Elizabeth Warren created the CFPB because she cares about us, not Corporate America.
Republicans cannot make the same claim.
Peace,
emaycee
Unbeknownst to many Americans, far too many businesses are now adding arbitration clauses to their terms of doing business with them. Credit card companies, iTunes, banks, and numerous others are basically saying, as a consumer, you have to agree to take any issues with them to an arbitrator instead of a court of law and jury of your peers or they won't do business with you. The reason? You guessed it--you'll win a lot less often and win a lot less money than you would before a jury of your peers. It's a fact that class action lawsuits punish bad business practices more and result in better ones. It's basically a rigged game.
The last two jobs I applied for--including the one I have now--required me to agree to arbitration for any disputes before I had so much as put my name on an application form (so much for me believing either of these employers gave two shits about me as an employee!). We recently bought a used car and I was surprised to find when I got home that I had agreed to arbitration though no one at the dealership had spoken one word to me about it (make sure to read the fine print kiddies!).
Last week, Elizabeth Warren's brainchild, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau put forth a rule that bars financial firms from having mandatory arbitration clauses. The CFPB does not need either the President's signature or the votes of the republican controlled Senate and House to pass this rule. While this is only a start, it is hoped that eventually it will lead to an end to arbitration clauses of any stripe.
Should republicans win the White House, within the first ten minutes of taking office (probably a slight exaggeration) they will disband the CFPB--and with it, any chance we consumers have against Big Business.
Remember, Elizabeth Warren created the CFPB because she cares about us, not Corporate America.
Republicans cannot make the same claim.
Peace,
emaycee
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Please proceed
Apparently, one of Donald Trump's "strategies" for his Presidential campaign is to attack Bill Clinton for his past sexual indiscretions. While I'm not going to defend Clinton's behavior, I do find this tack a bit bizarre as Trump himself does have quite the checkered past when it comes to sexual peccadilloes.
In the end, though, what this really is is red meat to fire up the republican base which still hates the Clintons with a passion. And it's easy to see why: the Clintons, with their eight years of peace and prosperity for all of us, proved that frankly Democrats are much better at running America than republicans.
And after Bush the Lesser got us into two disastrous wars and ushered in the Great Recession, Barack Obama once again showed how adept we are at running a nation.
So as far as I'm concerned, Trump can bring up Bill Clinton all he wants--seems to me the American people are wising up as to which party truly has their best interests at heart.
Peace,
emaycee
In the end, though, what this really is is red meat to fire up the republican base which still hates the Clintons with a passion. And it's easy to see why: the Clintons, with their eight years of peace and prosperity for all of us, proved that frankly Democrats are much better at running America than republicans.
And after Bush the Lesser got us into two disastrous wars and ushered in the Great Recession, Barack Obama once again showed how adept we are at running a nation.
So as far as I'm concerned, Trump can bring up Bill Clinton all he wants--seems to me the American people are wising up as to which party truly has their best interests at heart.
Peace,
emaycee
Friday, May 6, 2016
Friday Night Jukebox, Vol. LXXI--Mr. Acker Bilk: Stranger on the Shore
As we're nearing the anniversary of my father's birth, it's once again time to pay homage to one of his favorite tunes--which hit #1 (with a bullet!) on the Billboard Hot 100. That it was immediately followed at #1 by my Dad's favorite artist of all time, Ray Charles, with his hit "I Can't Stop Loving You," is probably about as much karma as can be fit into pop music.
Bonus Points 1: As if the name Acker Bilk wasn't distinctive enough, Bilk added a Mr. to his name for the single's release. I mean even Sinatra never released a song by Mr. Frank Sinatra. Bonus Points 2: Bilk was the first Brit to top the Hot 100--and the second was a band you may have heard of: The Beatles. Bonus Points 3: The crew of Apollo 10 added the song to a cassette they played while traveling in space. It's not "Johnny B. Goode" (which was sent into space aboard the Voyager spacecraft for alien civilizations to enjoy), but it's not sliced bologna either.
Mr. Acker Bilk had a long career in the music business as a clarinettist (lest we forget, Big Band great Benny Goodman was a clarinettist, too), most of it with his trademark goatee, bowler hat, and striped vest in place (you can see it in the video below). While he never again reached the success he had in 1962 (best selling single in both the U.S. and the U. K.), he managed to keep at it until his death in 2014 (though he admitted near the end of his life that he pretty much hated "Stranger on the Shore" after 50 years of playing it). He was known for his vibrato style of playing the clarinet (caused somewhat by the loss of part of a finger in a childhood accident), and on the semi-coolness quotient, he gains a few extra points for playing on three Van Morrison albums.
"Stranger on the Shore" is an instrumental which features Bilk on the clarinet and some old fart, easy listening strings in the background. Now when most people think of a clarinettist, they think of a young woman in a high school band who looks a lot like Joan Cusack's character in Sixteen Candles and for whom life would be perfect if only N'Sync would reunite, but Bilk actually takes it to another level. His playing is downright emotive and understandably so as he actually wrote the song for his young daughter. It was originally titled "Jenny" after her (Bilk was persuaded to change the title so it could be used as the theme song for a same titled British television show).
Alas there isn't much that can be said about an instrumental--suffice it to say that "Stranger on the Shore" is the most hopeful melancholy tune ever written (Bilk wrote it himself). I've often thought that life is a constant battle between expectations and acceptance, and every time I hear this song it reminds me of that battle--and how you eventually learn that acceptance is a fine place to be. And "Stranger on the Shore" is two minutes and fifty-five seconds of being in just such a happy place.
Surprise, surprise--no lyrics this week!
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Bonus Points 1: As if the name Acker Bilk wasn't distinctive enough, Bilk added a Mr. to his name for the single's release. I mean even Sinatra never released a song by Mr. Frank Sinatra. Bonus Points 2: Bilk was the first Brit to top the Hot 100--and the second was a band you may have heard of: The Beatles. Bonus Points 3: The crew of Apollo 10 added the song to a cassette they played while traveling in space. It's not "Johnny B. Goode" (which was sent into space aboard the Voyager spacecraft for alien civilizations to enjoy), but it's not sliced bologna either.
Mr. Acker Bilk had a long career in the music business as a clarinettist (lest we forget, Big Band great Benny Goodman was a clarinettist, too), most of it with his trademark goatee, bowler hat, and striped vest in place (you can see it in the video below). While he never again reached the success he had in 1962 (best selling single in both the U.S. and the U. K.), he managed to keep at it until his death in 2014 (though he admitted near the end of his life that he pretty much hated "Stranger on the Shore" after 50 years of playing it). He was known for his vibrato style of playing the clarinet (caused somewhat by the loss of part of a finger in a childhood accident), and on the semi-coolness quotient, he gains a few extra points for playing on three Van Morrison albums.
"Stranger on the Shore" is an instrumental which features Bilk on the clarinet and some old fart, easy listening strings in the background. Now when most people think of a clarinettist, they think of a young woman in a high school band who looks a lot like Joan Cusack's character in Sixteen Candles and for whom life would be perfect if only N'Sync would reunite, but Bilk actually takes it to another level. His playing is downright emotive and understandably so as he actually wrote the song for his young daughter. It was originally titled "Jenny" after her (Bilk was persuaded to change the title so it could be used as the theme song for a same titled British television show).
Alas there isn't much that can be said about an instrumental--suffice it to say that "Stranger on the Shore" is the most hopeful melancholy tune ever written (Bilk wrote it himself). I've often thought that life is a constant battle between expectations and acceptance, and every time I hear this song it reminds me of that battle--and how you eventually learn that acceptance is a fine place to be. And "Stranger on the Shore" is two minutes and fifty-five seconds of being in just such a happy place.
Surprise, surprise--no lyrics this week!
Enjoy:
Peace,
emaycee
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Apropos of absolutely nothing
While we had a relatively mild winter (meaning we only got 25-30 inches of snow instead of 60-70, and only saw a few days of subzero temperatures instead of weeks on end) in Michigan this year, we've had a rather shitty spring--other than Easter weekend, its been rainy with temps in the upper 30s to upper 40s, constantly cloudy and just overall dreary.
Until today.
And so as I was driving home up Interstate 75, when I looked over into another lane and saw a young woman's hand sticking through the sun roof of her compact car, and watched periodically as we drove a mile, and another, and another, and she never pulled her hand back into her car, I just knew.
Spring has finally arrived in Michigan.
In the immortal word of Leonard Cohen (though I believe he may have borrowed it from God), "Hallelujah!"
Peace,
emaycee
Until today.
And so as I was driving home up Interstate 75, when I looked over into another lane and saw a young woman's hand sticking through the sun roof of her compact car, and watched periodically as we drove a mile, and another, and another, and she never pulled her hand back into her car, I just knew.
Spring has finally arrived in Michigan.
In the immortal word of Leonard Cohen (though I believe he may have borrowed it from God), "Hallelujah!"
Peace,
emaycee
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
And the winner is...
...not Donald Trump.
Look, you're going to have the media and the political parties telling you for the next six months that some poll shows him ahead of Hillary Clinton or some pundit thinks he can win.
He can't--the media just wants to claim a horse race so they can sell more advertising, and the pundits just want to sell more books to gullible republicans.
I can think of no realistic scenario whereby Trump wins--not a financial collapse and not a terrorist attack. Both will just point out what a lightweight he really is. Thirty percent of the electorate in this election will be minorities--with his hateful rhetoric, Trump will be lucky to get ten percent of that vote. Even if he wins the white vote as overwhelmingly as Romney did in 2012 (not guaranteed), it's still going to be an ass kicking.
Still don't believe it? Well the big money boys are already putting their money into races they might win--like possibly keeping control of the Senate. And not spending it on Trump.
Frankly, I think the only mystery on election day this November is how many seats the Democrats pick up in the Senate--and I don't think 8 is impossible.
Remember, you heard it here first...
Peace,
emaycee
Look, you're going to have the media and the political parties telling you for the next six months that some poll shows him ahead of Hillary Clinton or some pundit thinks he can win.
He can't--the media just wants to claim a horse race so they can sell more advertising, and the pundits just want to sell more books to gullible republicans.
I can think of no realistic scenario whereby Trump wins--not a financial collapse and not a terrorist attack. Both will just point out what a lightweight he really is. Thirty percent of the electorate in this election will be minorities--with his hateful rhetoric, Trump will be lucky to get ten percent of that vote. Even if he wins the white vote as overwhelmingly as Romney did in 2012 (not guaranteed), it's still going to be an ass kicking.
Still don't believe it? Well the big money boys are already putting their money into races they might win--like possibly keeping control of the Senate. And not spending it on Trump.
Frankly, I think the only mystery on election day this November is how many seats the Democrats pick up in the Senate--and I don't think 8 is impossible.
Remember, you heard it here first...
Peace,
emaycee
Sunday, May 1, 2016
A real May Day celebration
While most folks are familiar with today as being May Day, in which we frolic around the maypole and elect a May Queen (never done either in my life), not many know that today is International Workers' Day. It's held in commemoration of the Haymarket Affair--a peaceful demonstration in Chicago on May 4, 1886 for the 8 hour workday which turned violent when a bomb was thrown. Later, eight of the demonstrators were convicted of conspiracy, four of which would be executed and one of which would commit suicide rather than be executed. None were likely guilty of the charges, but it is considered a major turning point in the fight for the eight hour day.
So as you're dancing around the maypole today, take a moment today to give thanks to those who paid the ultimate price, especially if you're one of those who's lucky enough to work an eight hour shift and get paid overtime for anything over it. The idea was originally to be eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for you--and some union members gave their lives in the fight for a better life for you.
And there are still a lot of them fighting for the very same thing even today.
Peace,
emaycee
So as you're dancing around the maypole today, take a moment today to give thanks to those who paid the ultimate price, especially if you're one of those who's lucky enough to work an eight hour shift and get paid overtime for anything over it. The idea was originally to be eight hours for work, eight hours for sleep, and eight hours for you--and some union members gave their lives in the fight for a better life for you.
And there are still a lot of them fighting for the very same thing even today.
Peace,
emaycee
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
